Events

Our first "Saturday Fecht Club" May 16th, 2026, 1-3:30pm. The first rule of Fecht Club is you do not talk about Fecht Club. ;) This will be an open sparring class with coached sparring as well, Tiers 1-4. Come get some extra training in! Great opportunity for tournament prep or for improving your sparring/technical applications. We'll have opportunities to explore a lot of sparring aspects and will also run some competitive/judged bouts. This will be a 3-hour class of open sparring, stay as long as you want, and fight til you drop! Snacks will be provided. Maybe we grab a beer afterwards? :)

Thursday, March 26th NSHF will be hosting its first quartlerly in-house competition of 2026, our Spring Longsword Fechtschule! Open for all members Tiers 1-4. We will run this tournament during our normal class time on Thursday, 6-9pm. The goal of these in-house tournaments is to give everyone opportunities for competitive experience and a chance to test your skills outside of sparring and regular training. There's no better way to test your skills than to compete!  We also will need help judging and/or scorekeep, so let us know if you'd like to get involved that way. Whether you've never competed before are looking to sharpen and take your competitive skills to a higher level, this is your chance! Space is going to be limited so register asap.

WinterFecht 2025 - our first annual in-house end of the year tournament to usher in the Christmas season, what better way than to "Dussack the Halls" on December 18th, 2025 :) Thursday 7-9pm during our regular training time. This will be a low gear and relaxed tournament, with the goal of seeing some great fencing and merry camaraderie to finish out at great year at NSHF! All NSHF members and skill levels are welcome to participate, tiers 1-4 and our current beginners. Medals will be awarded to our top 3 finalists. *Masks, gloves, cup, elbow, knee and chest protectors (for ladies) are required. We have extra equipment for those who need to borrow.* For the sake of brotherly love there shall be no thrusting in this event, just as our forefathers did among comrades. :) Ruleset to be released soon. This a family friendly event, so you're welcome to bring loved ones/children. There will be light refreshments, anyone is welcome to bring food/drink as well! *Tournament registration is free, just make sure to sign up here asap so we know you'll be competing.* Looking forward to finishing out the year strong!

NSHF is very excited to announce that we will be having Derek Wise from Boston Armizare visiting us Saturday Dec. 13, and Sunday Dec. 14, 2025 for a workshop weekend! These workshops will be open to all levels of NSHF students, even those without prior experience in these respective weapon sets. Derek is an extremely accomplished competitive fencer and an excellent scholar, his expertise in Rapier & Dagger and Sword & Buckler is exceptional - this is an excellent opportunity for beginner-advanced fencers, you surely won't want to miss out on these workshops! There will also be time for questions and sparring afterwards. *We will have loaner equipment, if you need to borrow weapons/equipment please let us know asap so we can accomodate. Full equipment is not required for these workshops, we'll do our best to accommodate all skill and equipment levels. *Please note that each will event will be at a different location due to scheduling conflicts* Saturday will be at our normal training space at 2nd Presb. church, Sunday will be held at our regular event/tournament space at the Russellville High School gymnasium, about 1 hr north of Nashville. Ticket prices will be $80 for 1 day or $120 for both days The schedule for the weekend will be:   Saturday Dec. 13, 2025 10am - 3pm (1 hr lunch break) 2nd Presb. Church, 3511 Belmont Blvd, Nashville, TN  -Fundamentals of Italian Rapier: Using the Dagger   Sunday Dec. 14, 2025, 1-4pm Russellville High School Gymnasium, 1101 W 9th St, Russellville, KY 42276 -Fundamentals of Sword and Buckler: What Germany and Italy agree on   Derek Wise of Boston Armizare has been doing HEMA for 8 years, with 4 prior years of Olympic fencing and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience. A diligent practitioner and instructor of BA's thoughtful and elevated Italian system, he fences firstly from an understanding of Fabris and Fiore, but scorns no knowledge of bladecraft. He is one of the foremost practical experts of rapier and dagger and sword and buckler in the United States with medals and ranking to prove it. Notably, he's had decisive multi-weapon sweeps at SERFO '25 and Ascalon '24.  He is the upcoming author of Wise's Historical Fencing, a beginner and intermediate text-book style treatment of pan-source point-forward fencing for today's HEMA-curious.

This autumn, join us for VIRTUS IN ARMIS: The Art of the Duel, a rapier-focused tournament hosted by the Nashville School of Historical Fencing, featuring both Single Rapier and Rapier & Dagger competitions on Saturday, November 15th, 2025. VIRTUS IN ARMIS is a tribute to the art of the rapier and the classical Renaissance ideals that govern the pursuit of arms. In the spirit of the duel, the tournament environment serves as a proving ground where competitors may test their mettle, honor their opponents and strive toward excellence, reviving the spirit of marital virtue and noble purpose that define the warrior’s path. At its heart, VIRTUS IN ARMIS seeks to showcase the strength of character, discipline and skill revealed through the pursuit of arms. As always with NSHF events, you can expect a great time with challenging matches, excellent judging and a professionally run tournament experience, join us in carrying the tradition forward – one duel at a time! The event will be held at the Russellville High School Gymnasium in Russellville, KY about 1 hour north of Nashville, TN. For those travelling out of state and looking for accommodation, we recommend looking at Bowling Green, KY which is about 25 min away. Rules for both events can be found here:  https://static1.squarespace.com/static/674950762502920e4f522e4b/t/68ffb091c66482546b61d675/1761587345861/rapier+tournament+ruleset+2025.pdf The tenative schedule for the day will be: 8am - Doors open 9am - Single Rapier pools 11am - Single rapier elims and finals 12:30pm - Lunch 1:30pm - Rapier & Dagger pools 3pm - Rapier & Dagger elims and finals 5pm conclusion  

Join us for a 1-day event this summer - "In the Name of Saint George!" featuring both Longsword and Military Saber tournaments, Saturday July 26th, 2025. We're looking forward to another great competition hosted by NSHF, event sizes are limited so make sure to register asap to reserve your spot. Saint George, the legendary soldier-saint and dragon slayer stands as a timeless symbol and example of courage, chivalry and unwavering resolve in the face of adversity. Saint George has long been the patron saint of knights, warriors, fencers and those who take up arms for honor, defense and virtue. Our tournament In the Name of Saint George is a celebration of those knightly values that Saint George represents, not just a contest of arms but also a tribute to the chivalric spirit of discipline, respect and valor that defined the martial traditions of Europe.  He slew the dragon, he died a martyr. In his name we compete, not for glory alone but to carry forward a legacy of skill, honor and virtue. *Our military saber event will have weight specifications; sabers must weigh 720-900g. Links to tournament rules can be found below Longsword rules Military Saber rules The tenative schedule for the day will be as follows: 8am - Doors open 9am - Open Longsword pools 11am - Open Longsword elims and finals 12:30-1:30pm Lunch 1:30pm - Open Military Saber pools 3pm - Open Military Saber elims and finals 5pm - Conclusion